Obstacles of Classification

Classification means a lot of effort but what is the result?

Obstacle 1: Which system is the right one?

Universal classifications such as eCl@ss or ICS are perfect for standard components. However, for company specific products they are usually poorly-suited.

Another obstacle where many companies already fail is the question of whether one should classify functionally (connecting, milling, drilling ...) or type-specifically (screw, nut ...). A functional classification would be especially good for inexperienced young professionals.

Obstacle 2: Time-consuming manual classification

The correct manual assignment of parts into an existing classification system is very time-consuming and costly. Therefore error rates are more likely to occur.

Many already fail when trying to define the right classification system, some companies might make it to the actual classification of the parts master data. However here, at the latest, it becomes clear, why only few companies possess a parts master that is classified correctly to 100%: Different employees have a different subjective perception of how a part should be classified correctly. According to expert estimates, the matching rate of a component classified by three different employees is around 30%.

Although the German language is very suitable for classification due to its differentiation, there are many technical terms that cannot be distinguished in other languages. This makes the correct classification of components harder in companies where multilingualism is inevitable.